Season 9 trailer and start date revealed

Yesterday, at long last, a teaser trailer for the final (sniff) season of Friendship is Magic was released by Discovery Family. Thankfully the thumbnail is not spoilery, so I can embed it up here. However, the video itself does reveal a major plot point, so I would strongly advise you not to play it if you're trying to avoid knowing anything about what's coming up.

( Text link )

I'll put a few thoughts about the video's content after a cut, but the non-spoilery fact is that S9 will be released some time in April. The hot money surely has to be on an Easter Saturday premiere – that would be the 20th – but really I wouldn't be that surprised by any other time. I just hope we don't have any leaks this season, as those were by far the most unwelcome feature of S8.

If you want, come with me past the cut for a little discussion of what's in the trailer. Spoilers lurk beyond this point!

Ponyfic Roundup 239: Spotlight on Allegrezza

Apologies for the late appearance of this PR. Being my brilliant self, I'd forgotten to press "Publish" so this article was sitting there in draft form when it was supposed to go out!

Something a bit different today: my first Spotlight edition in quite a while, and we're going back, back to the early days of the fandom. In particular, to the early days of one of its most popular (and now sort of semi-canonised but not) ships: Vinyl and Otavia.

Read it Later story count: 270 (+1)

Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.

Allegrezza by Gravekeeper
Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Lyra, Bon Bon, OC, Celestia and and Nightmare Moon
Romance/Comedy/Slice of Life; 48k words; Nov 2011–Feb 2012; Everyone

Vinyl and Octavia have some adventures.

Vinyl thinks Octavia is a stuck-up snob. Octavia thinks Vinyl is an uncouth slob. You can see where this is going, can't you? And indeed, there's very little startling about the way the two rapidly come together. In all honesty, there's little to detain the reader there, which is a problem in a story that exists to make them a couple. On the plus side, the author (once known as Avensis Astari, it seems) does make the characters fairly interesting. Lyra's appearance as an antagonist makes a change, there are some nice bits of humour, and for such an old story there's only a tiny "Lyra likes humans!" reference. Still, too many things just conveniently happen, and (as the author acknowledges in a preface) the fic really shows its age today. This is interesting from a historical point of view, but there are plenty of better ScratchTavia stories. Oh, and Scotch is whisky. No E. Ever. ★★

For those who don't mind spoilers, follow me past the break for some more detailed thoughts on aspects of this story.

My thank you letter to the MLP staff

Equestria Daily has been running a "Write a letter to the MLP staff" event, and in the end they had around 230 submissions, which I don't think is bad. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.) You can argue they might have waited until the end of S9, but having thought about it I think this way is better. Many of the show staffers have now wrapped up their work on FiM, so it's good to have these written now, while their experience is still fresh in their memories. (I don't really expect them to read these letters, though. They're simply too busy.)

Anyway, for those who don't read EqD but for some strange reason do want to read what I put in my own letter, here's my sappy effort:

To you all,

And that really does mean *all*. To the writers, the voice actors, the animators, the storyboard artists, the musicians, the unsung heroes behind the scenes and all the others who would make this letter so much longer if I listed them in full. All of you who have worked so hard for so long on a show which has truly earned its place in animation history.

To Lauren Faust, without whom we wouldn't have Friendship is Magic. To Bonnie Zacherle, without whom we wouldn't have My Little Pony at all. To DHX, for the hugely appealing show your talented crew produce for us time after time. To Hasbro, for supporting the series for all these years. To everyone.

The show all of you helped to make happen changed my life. That is not an exaggeration. It changed it very much for the better. I am happier now than I would have been without FiM. I am more creative. The show helped me through some very dark times and gave me a place where, no matter how bad things might look, light and hope always won out in the end.

Most of all, the greatest gift this show has given me is friendship. Because of FiM and the people who've shared my appreciation of it, I have gained many wonderful friends. That's something I wouldn't have imagined a cartoon aimed at young children could give me. But it has.

Of course, there's still one more season to come before our favourite little ponies gallop off into the sunset for the very last time. The show has evolved over the years, but I still enjoy it enormously, and I look forward enormously to seeing what Season 9 has in store. I'm sure the final season will be truly enchanting. Because, after all... Friendship *is* Magic.

Fluttershy said it best, as she so often does:

"You rock. Woo-hoo."

Thank you. Thank you more than I can put into words,
Loganberry.

This will doubtless jinx it, but...

...I'm delighted none of FiM Season 9 has leaked. Yes, I know the information that was in the leaks last year had some stuff about S9, but we really, really don't want another situation like S8 when half the fandom had seen half the episodes (albeit in unfinished form) before S1 E1 even officially aired. At least, I really, really don't want that. Here's hoping it stays that way. Hooves crossed!

Sounds of 2011: Nos. 19 to 15

It's getting quite exciting now, isn't it? The answer is "Yes!" by the way. Anyway, in this instalment of our long journey through Everfree Radio's Top 100 brony tracks of 2011, we've got a couple of very, very famous songs. And those which are a little less so. Here we go.

19: Alex S. – Cutie Mark Crusaders (Alex S. Dubstep Remix)

Here's a remix of the CMCs' song from the (in my view, which is right) underrated "The Show Stoppers" from S1. Alex S. has an official archive channel, so this dubstep version is still around. It's pleasant enough if you like the genre, but it doesn't do anything that will make your eyes snap open. I find it a little bizarre that this charted higher than the far better remembered and frankly better remix of the show theme (no. 28), but oh well. There's a Mediafire download link for a 320kbps MP3 in the video description.

I'm skipping no. 18 for not meeting my inclusion criteria.

17: PinkiePieSwear – Sunshine and Celery Stalks

Serendipity: the artist formerly known as PinkiePieSwear, and now known as Matt R, keeps changing the status of his YouTube songs. Sometimes they're public, sometimes they're unlisted, sometimes they're entirely unavailable. Why I have no idea – but the happy fact is that, as I write, this glorious choptune based on Applejack's lines in "Winter Wrap Up" is once more available to all. All these years on, it remains one of the best AJ tracks the fandom has produced. Note that nearly all versions I've heard, including this one, feature several seconds of silence at the beginning. Get it in full HQ for $1 on PPS's Bandcamp.

16: Chain Algorithm – Elements of Harmonics (DJ Pon-3 vs. Octavia)

Another Vinyl/Tavi piece, and another chart entry by Chain Algorithm. It's pretty much what you'd expect, with some intricate string work overlaid with plenty of energetic drumming. Perhaps a tiny bit too long at 4:17, but that's hardly the worst fault a track can have if it's otherwise well made. You could almost imagine this song being used as the tune for a fairly hectic stage of a platform game. For a 320k MP3, check the Mediafire link in the video description.

15: WoodenToaster – Rainbow Factory

It's remarkable how many people believe to this day that WoodenToaster's classic was inspired by AuroraDawn's infamous fanfic. Not a bit of it: the song came first. For such an old song (August 2011) it's remarkable how well this tune grabs you and just doesn't let go, even if you've somehow managed to avoid ever knowing the grim story behind the fic. There's a real sense of menace in the lyrics, and despite the occasional mis-step ("with its alluring decor" really doesn't fit the rhythm) it's a deserved classic. No HQ version that I could find, though!

Next time, we'll be reaching the fringes of the fabled Top Ten!

Ponyfic Roundup 238: Big Yellow Taxi

If all goes as I hope, my Newcomers' Edition of PR will appear in a fortnight's time on 6th March. I'm still busy in the real world, but things have settled down into a little more of a rhythm now, which helps. Let's get going for this week.

Read it Later story count: 269 (+1)

Another three-fic week. Gah, and I thought I'd left those days behind me! Oh well, I've still got something to share with you, at least. As usual, they're all short stories; you'll have to wait until next week (see the bottom of the post) for a fic that will take more than a few minutes to read.

Fluttershy's Secret Kissing Story by Ara
Friendship = Evil by PaulAsaran
Golden Prize by Admiral Biscuit

★: 0 | ★★: 1 | ★★★: 0 | ★★★★: 2 | ★★★★★: 0
Note: I use a skewed rating system. A fic I find average scores two stars.

UK PonyCon dates and venue announced!

And the announcement has been made a couple of months earlier than last year, too! That's probably got a lot to do with the fact that, as the official announcement states, UK PonyCon 2019 will be held at the...

Nottingham Conference Centre

on 12-13 October 2019

That's right: the exact same venue as last year! This isn't the first time UKPC has done this, as both the 2014 and 2015 iterations were held at the same hotel in Leicester, but given the watery theme this year ("Ocean Adventure") it has come as a bit of a surprise. To me and those I've discussed this with over the last few weeks, anyway. Ticket details have not yet been released, so don't go rushing off to buy one – as of yet, you can't! I don't know when they'll go on sale, I'm afraid.

How do I feel about the choice of venue? From a personal point of view, really quite pleased. Nottingham is straightforward for me to get to by train, and not desperately expensive either. (Around £33 for a walk-up off-peak return.) I also now know the city a little better than I did last year, so I shouldn't waste time finding my bearings. It'll also make it easier for me to write up guides for con-goers, as I can use much of last year's info and my 2018 experience!

The city centre is also quite compact and nicely arranged, in that there are several affordable hotels within walking distance of Nottingham Conference Centre (NCC), which itself is on the edge of the shops'n'restaurants area. A tram line runs from the main railway station and there are stops very near to the venue, plus close by are several of the all-important Wetherspoons pubs for cheap food and chat! There's even a little Tesco Express within range.

As for NCC itself, I thought it was a solid venue last year. There was a reasonable amount of square footage to wander around in, sufficient rooms including a cinema/lecture theatre and just about enough chill-out space – though UWE Bristol (2017's host) was better on that score. The venue staff were also very good, in particular one guy who was on bag-check duty a lot. It's hard to make that part of the day enjoyable, but he came as close as anyone could.

I do have a few small reservations. I'm sure NCC's inadequate café provision from 2018 will be sorted so I'm not too worried there, but I can see why some may be disappointed at returning to Nottingham. 2019 will mark the fourth iteration in six that UKPC has been in the East Midlands, which doesn't fit with the con's distinctive feature of touring the country so that as many people as possible get the chance to attend. Finally, Nottingham city centre late on a Saturday night wasn't somewhere I was wild about.

I can't yet say for certain that I'll be going to UK PonyCon for the sixth successive year, but it's more likely now than if the host city had been somewhere 300 miles away. I will have to wait to see how much it's likely to cost me before starting to firm up my decisions. I do want to go, though. We are very lucky to have such a good convention in this country, and I most certainly want to attend and support it. I hope I'll be able to!